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Hyundai as a brand has solidly taken hold in Florida where the Dealerrater.com Hyundai Dealer of the Year, Hyundai of St. Augustine, just announced record sales increases for February. 

The record setting month for Hyundai of St Augustine mirrored and even surpassed the national sales gains of Hyundai Motor Corp which closed out February with impressive sales increases.  Overall, Hyundai Motor Corp reported an 11% increase in February 2010 versus February 2009, while Hyundai of St Augustine reported a staggering 60% increase in new car sales over the same time last year. 

Despite statewide economic challenges and lagging auto sales in Florida, Hyundai models like the Sonata, Tucson and Santa Fe helped push Hyundai of St Augustine to a record setting sales achievement in February. According to Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America’s vice president of national sales, “Our sales gains in February were driven by strong consumer response to new products like the Tucson, which was up 102 percent, and the all-new U.S.-built Sonata, which was just launched this month and has already driven a 58 percent sales increase.”  In addition to success of Sonata and Tucson, the freshened Santa Fe with a 52 percent increase, Genesis with a 39 percent increase, and Accent with a 22 percent rise, all registered significant growth over the same period one year ago.

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata joins an elite group of motor vehicles as a “Top Safety Pick” of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This award is only given to those vehicles that do a superior job protecting people in front, side, rear and rollover crashes.  While past Hyundai models, such as the Genesis, have been named IIHS “Top Safety Picks,” the standards were higher than ever for 2010, with a roof strength test added to the qualifications. According to the new guidelines, roofs must be more than double the strength of current federal requirements in order to better maintain vehicle integrity in the event of a rollover accident.

Because this roof strength test is so demanding, many of the vehicles that had previously been named “Top Safety Picks” were dropped from the list in 2010.  From the 2011 Sonata’s inception, Hyundai engineers carefully considered the importance of roof strength and designed the newest edition to pass this high hurdle set by the IIHS.

The Sonata continues to draw in Florida consumers from as far as Jacksonville, Orange Park, and Palm Coast.  As one of the best selling models at Hyundai of St. Augustine, the dealership goes the extra mile to stock one of the largest most diverse selections of new and used Sonatas. 

Florida Hyundai shoppers who would like to learn more about the award winning 2011 Hyundai Sonata can visit Hyundai of St. Augustine online at http://www.hyundaiofstaugustine.com/index.htm

Hyundai of St. Augustine is pleased to announce that the all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata joins an elite group of motor vehicles as a “Top Safety Pick” of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This award is only given to those vehicles that do a superior job protecting people in front, side, rear and rollover crashes.  A car’s ability to handle itself in these crashes is determined by how many “GOOD” ratings it receives in each of the IIHS tests.  Additionally, the vehicle must have electronic stability control readily available as an option.

Sonata is built from the ground up with safety in mind, with a hot stamped ultra-high-strength steel body structure, advanced airbag technology and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), delivering on Hyundai’s commitment to both active and passive safety technology leadership. In 2005, the Sonata was the first popular midsize sedan to standardize ESC– once again every 2011 Sonata has lifesaving ESC as standard equipment. This is important because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that ESC results in 35 percent fewer single-vehicle crashes and 30 percent fewer single-vehicle fatalities in passenger cars.

A smart choice for Florida families, the 2011 Sonata also features a state-of-the-art Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) including Brake Assist and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).  Sonata features six airbags—including dual front, front seat-mounted side-impact, and front and rear side curtain airbags—along with active front-seat head restraints.

While past Hyundai models, such as the Genesis, have been named IIHS “Top Safety Picks,” the standards are higher than ever for 2010, with a roof strength test added to the qualifications. According to the new guidelines, roofs must be more than double the strength of current federal requirements in order to better maintain vehicle integrity in the event of a rollover accident.

Because this roof strength test is so demanding, many of the vehicles that had previously been named “Top Safety Picks” were dropped from the list in 2010.  From the 2011 Sonata’s inception, Hyundai engineers carefully considered the importance of roof strength and designed the newest edition to pass this high hurdle set by the IIHS.

The other IIHS “Top Safety Pick” standards are stringent as well — the institute’s frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of 40 mph frontal offset crash tests.  Each vehicle’s overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a dummy representing a 50th percentile male in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.

Side evaluations are based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph.  The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented dummies representing an average-sized woman, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle’s structural performance during the impact.

Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure.  Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry — the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man.  Seat/head restraints with good or acceptable geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck.  This test simulates a collision in which a stationary vehicle is struck in the rear at 20 mph.

Florida Hyundai shoppers who would like to learn more about the award winning 2011 Hyundai Sonata can visit Hyundai of St. Augustine online at http://www.hyundaiofstaugustine.com/index.htm

Hyundai recently introduced its all-new 2011 Sonata at the Los Angeles Auto Show. This marks the North American debut of the latest version of the popular midsize sedan, introducing Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design language and an all four-cylinder engine lineup to the U.S. market.

It has not taken long for the new Sonata to be in demand. Hyundai of St. Augustine is selling them as fast as they are getting them.

We are getting shipments in daily, but they are selling within 24 hours of hitting the ground.  We have a good supply of them being shipped to us, some of which are already pre-sold, so please do not delay in visiting Hyundai of St. Augustine to check out the new 2011 Sonata. 

We are offering a special lease program on the 2011 Sonata, but it won’t last long. 

Sonata is the second vehicle in Hyundai’s 24/7 version 2.0 product initiative (seven new models in the next 24 months) following on the heels of the all-new Tucson.

 The 2011 Sonata represents a modern approach to the traditional midsize sedan segment by using only advanced four-cylinder engines, emotional design and luxury features offered with Hyundai’s strong value proposition.

 A sophisticated look can be found inside and out.  For the interior, Hyundai has created an upscale ambiance thanks to a flow-through center console and instrument panel. These flowing surfaces complement the exterior design and wrap around the driver and passengers.  Sonata has the most interior volume of its key competitors. It is so spacious, Sonata continues to be classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a Large car, truly a “class above” Camry, Altima, Fusion and Malibu (all are categorized as Midsize cars).

Sonata delivers an impressive 22 mpg city/35 mpg highway fuel economy rating with the available six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC®. (When equipped with the six-speed manual, the Sonata achieves 24 mpg city/35 mpg highway fuel economy rating).

For more information or to test-drive a new Sonata, visit Hyundai of St. Augustine at 2898 U.S. 1 in St. Augustine, call them at 797-7800 or visit their Web site at http://www.hyundaiofstaugustine.com .